Bottle sterilizer



June 13, 1939. D. N. PEIRCE BOTTLE STERILIZER Filed May 10, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR ATTORNEY5 June 13, 1939.

D. N. PEIRCE BOTTLE STERILIZER Filed May 10, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I NVENTOR BY T vM d

,ATTORNEYS Patented June 13, 1939 UNITED STATES BOTTLE STERILIZER Daniel N. Peirce, Bethayres, Pa., assigns! to Fox Products Company, a. corporation of Pennsylvania Application May 10, 1937, Serial No. 141,718

'7 Claims.

This invention relates to bottle sterilizers and it is especially useful for sterilizing milk bottles for babies. I am aware that it has heretofore been proposed to sterilize such bottles either 5 singly or a number at a time, by means of steam generated, for example, by electrical heating members in which the water to be vaporized completes the circuit. The supporting means for the bottle or bottles, however, have been such that all of the surface is not effectively exposed to the steam, so that complete sterilization has not been obtained. Obviously nothing short of complete sterilization is satisfactory.

It is one of the primary objects of my invention to provide a device securing complete sterilization particularly of the inner surfaces and the outside of the lip and neck of the bottle.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide a device suitable for nurseries, hospitals, and the like, whereby a number of bottles may be sterilized at one time.

I also contemplate providing a unit of the character described which may be folded into compact form for shipping.

The foregoing, together with such other objects and advantages as may hereinafter appear, I accomplish by means of a construction which I have illustrated in the preferred form in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a partial side elevation and section (taken on the line l---! of Figure 2) through a unit embodying my invention and indicating the manner in which it is carried by a standard form of electrical heater.

Figure 2 is a plan viewof the unit of Figure 1 in collapsed condition for packaging and shipping, and

Figure 3 is a side elevation of Figure 2 drawn on a smaller scale.

Referring now to Figure 1, the unit comprises a base member A, a handle device B therefor, and a bottle supporting means indicated as a whole by the reference numeral C adapted to be carried on the base A.

The base A has a central opening '1 defined by the flange 8. This flange is adapted to fit into a standard electrical heater 9 which may be of any preferred construction, known in this art. When water is introduced into the heater 9, the circuit is completed and the water converted into steam. which rises through the opening 1 to ultimately sterilize the bottles, as will further appear. From a point adjacent the opening the base slopes downwardly and outwardly, terminating in an annular gutter l and an upstanding rim I l to which the handle mechanism B is secured, as will be described.

The bottle supporting means consists of an inverted pan or dome member l2, the diameter of which is such that its flange l3 will rest in the annular groove Hi when the parts are in operative position as shown. The member [2 is provided with boss-like portions M, in number corresponding to the number of bottles to be sterilized in one operation. A cup-like member 10 i5 is secured to the upper face of each boss. Each boss and each cup is centrally apertured and the cups are secured in any preferred manner, as by a member l6 adapted to be rolled into gripping contact, as shown in Figure 1. Rising from the member I6 is a stub tube 11 which may also be secured by rolling the member I6. The tubes are of a diameter smaller than the internal diameter of the bottle neck, small enough to avoid bridging across of the water by capillary attraction. Each cup is provided with one or more holes l3 located so that any condensate deposited in the cup will immediately discharge therefrom. The small outlet holes in the tops of the tubes insure building up sufficient pressure to secure distribution of the steam among all bottles.

Bottles are placed neck down in and are centered by the cups with the neck clear of the tube and are prevented from wobbling too much by the washer-like members l9 at the upper ends of the tubes I 1. They are also prevented from wobbling excessively by the ring secured to the handle B. Thus the bottles cannot contact with the tubes.

With the bottle in place and water within the heater, the steam rises into the dished member l2 and from thence through the tubes into the interior of the bottles. The bottles are filled with steam which vents itself from the bottles through the neck and into the cups, then it rises flowing over the external surfaces of the neck. The vibration occurring when the steam is being generated ensures exposure even at the line contact of neck and cup rim, this result being facilitated by reason of the fact that the bottles are free to wobble. Condensate running into the cups discharges and finds its way to the annular groove l0, making a seal at that point, ensuring that all the steam thereafter must flow into the bottles.

The amount of water placed within the heater 9 is sufficient to secure thorough sterilization'by the time that it has been completely evaporated.

Riveted to the base member H) are a pair of forked members 2| and the handle B is in turn riveted to the upper ends thereof by a single rivet 22 which permits the handle to be swung into the position shown in Figures 2 and 3. When the handle is swung to the position shown in Figure 1, the lip 23 spring-snaps into the notch 24 whereby the handle is held in the position shown in Figure 1. The ring 20 is riveted to the handle by single rivets so that it may be rotated to lie in the plane of the handle as shown in Figure 2. Thus the device may be folded into very compact form.

When the bottles are sterilized, the unit may be lifted from the heater by means of the handle. I

Instead of using an electrical heater, the unit may be placed in a pan of water. To this end, the flange 8 is at least sufiiciently short to allow the base to rest on the gutter portion thereof. If the base be omitted, the handle is secured to the dome.

I claim:

1. A bottle sterilizer adapted to be associated with a source of supply of steam, comprising a dome, a tube projecting upwardly from the dome and adapted to deliver steam therefrom, a bottle support adapted to centralize the bottle with reference to the tube free of contact therewith and with the dome, said support being in the form of a self-discharging cup, and a base for supporting the dome, said base having a peripheral gutter receiving the edge portion of the dome and having a central aperture from which the base slopes downwardly to the gutter.

2. A bottle sterilizer adapted to be associated with a source of supply of steam comprising a dome, a base for supporting the dome, said base having an annular water-retaining trough receiving the edge portion of the dome, a tube projecting upwardly from the dome and adapted to deliver steam therefrom, a bottle support adapted to centralize a bottle with reference to the tube free of contact therewith with the tube projecting into the neck of the bottle, said support being in the form of a cup and being adapted to discharge condensate into said trough.

3. A bottle sterilizer adapted to be associated with a source of supply of steam, comprising a dome, a tube projecting upwardly from the dome and adapted to deliver'steam therefrom, and a bottle support adapted to cooperate with the bottle externally thereof with freedom for limited wobbling movement, said tube having a washer at its upper end of larger diameter than the tube, and the bottle support and tube washer cooperating to provide against contact of the tube and bottle in the neck of the latter.

4. A bottle sterilizer comprising a base having an aperture adapted to be associated with a source of supply of steam, the base having an annular trough, a dome above the base having a lip lying in said trough, a bottle support projecting upwardly from the dome and adapted to engage a bottle at a point spaced from the mouth thereof and to support the bottle with its lip out of contact with the dome, and means for passing steam from the dome into the interior of the bottle, the bottle support being constructed to provide for condensate drainage from the bottle into said trough.

5. A bottle sterilizer comprising a base having an aperture adapted to be associated with a source of supply of steam, the base having an annular trough, a dome above the base having a lip lying in said trough, a bottle support projecting upwardly from the dome and adapted to engage a bottle at a point spaced from the mouth thereof and to support the bottle with its lip out of contact with the dome, and a tube projecting upwardly from the dome into a bottle carried by said support and providing for delivery of steam from the dome into the interior of the bottle, said support being in the form of a cup having condensate drainage means providing for flow of condensate from the cup exteriorly of the dome into said trough.

6. A bottle sterilizer including a bottle supporting cup adapted to engage the bottle externally thereof at a point spaced from its open end and to support the bottle with freedom for limited wobbling movement, a tube projecting upwardly from the bottom of the cup and providing for the delivery of steam into the interior of the bottle, the tube being of substantially smaller diameter than the bottle neck, and means for restricting wobbling movement of the bottle comprising a member carried'on the tube at an elevation spaced substantially above the lip of the bottle and cooperating with the cup to restrict wobbling movement of the bottle sufficiently to provide against contact of the tube with the inside wall of the neck of the bottle.

7. A bottle sterilizer including a member providing a steam chamber, a generally cylindrical bottle supporting cup, the side wall of which rises from said member and is adapted to engage the outside surface of a bottle and support the same at a point spaced from the mouth of the bottle with the lip out of contact with said member, and a tube rising from said member generally centrally of said cup from the bottom thereof and adapted to deliver steam from the steam chamber into the interior of the bottle, said tube being of substantially smaller diameter than the inside diameter of the neck of the bottle, the bottle cooperating with the cup to substantially close the open upper end of the cup when the bottle is inserted in position to be supported in the cup to provide a substantially closed sterilizing chamber for the inner and outer surfaces of the neck of the bottle, the cup having condensate drainage means adjacent the bottom thereof.

DANIEL N. PEIRCE. 

